Why It Took Me So Long to Release My First Single (And What I Learned)

I still get nervous whenever I tell someone about my journey in music. The way I understand music now is so different from how I knew it back then. In fact, it feels almost wrong to say I even “knew” music back then. But in reality, I was getting acquainted with it from a young age, and my real relationship with music began at 13 when I asked my mother for a guitar.

The Early Days of Songwriting: Finding My Voice

Admittedly, the guitar was just my excuse to sing and write songs. I had no idea how to start making music, so that was my bridge into it. Back then, I felt ashamed—like I wasn’t a “real” musician. But looking back, I was doing the best I could with what I had.

Songwriting is hard. You take nothing and turn it into something—something meant to last forever, meant to carry emotion, and meant to inspire people. That’s a huge responsibility. Most of my songs back then never even had melodies because I didn’t know how to create them. But I was proud of how quickly I could turn my feelings into lyrics.

The Intimidation of Becoming a “Real” Songwriter

Fast forward to today, I’ve learned that calling myself a songwriter requires more than just writing lyrics. I had to develop the skill of crafting melodies and lyrics almost simultaneously. That realization was intimidating, so I approached the process humbly.

I started by writing lyrics first and then painstakingly building melodies on a keyboard—note by note. It wasn’t the most creative process, but it worked. After weeks of revising, I finally had a complete song.

The Challenge of Recording My First Song

Writing a song is one thing, but recording it is a completely different challenge. Singing a song that has only existed on paper—never rehearsed, never performed—feels like acting in a play without a cast or a single practice run. It was robotic, and I had to force myself through the process.

I often hear music industry professionals say that new artists don’t get the same artist development that musicians once had. I never wanted to be one of those new artists who skipped that stage, but technology has made it easier than ever to take shortcuts. Many artists today bypass the years of training and practice that previous generations had to work through. And as I develop myself as an artist, I see these obstacles show up again and again.

Why My First Single Took So Long to Finish

It took me over a month to write my debut single, LOOKING, and another two weeks to record it. Then, I had to wait two more weeks to get it mastered—because I had to learn the hard way that not everyone in the music industry is as serious or passionate as you are. Finding the right people to work with can take just as much time as making the music itself.

And when I look back on all the time I spent waiting—waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder and say, “Come to the studio!”—I feel disappointed. The truth is, the work was mine to do. No one was going to do it for me. I held myself back from opportunities to make music.

But maybe that time wasn’t wasted. Maybe if I had rushed the process, I would have just been another artist who skipped over real artist development.

Lessons for Aspiring Artists

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that no one is going to hand you your music career. You have to be proactive. Waiting for the perfect moment will only delay your dreams. The more you embrace the work, the more you’ll grow—not just as an artist, but as a person.

So if you’re sitting on music, afraid to take the next step—don’t wait. Start now. Because every step forward, no matter how small, is part of your development.

Listen to my debut single, LOOKING, and follow my journey as I continue growing as an artist.